Dartmouth Women's Lacrosse Enjoys Season-Opening Victory

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Dartmouth Women's Lacrosse Enjoys Season-Opening Victory

Boxscore

HANOVER, N.H. - In her first collegiate career game, freshman goalkeeper Julie Wadland (Andover, Mass.) made 13 saves as the No. 6 Dartmouth women's lacrosse team held on for an 11-10 victory over No. 15 Syracuse on Saturday.

With the Big Green clinging to the one-goal lead, Wadland came up big with about a minute to go, denying Syracuse's Katie Rowan the tying goal.

Offensively, Dartmouth seniors Sarah Szefi (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Jen Pittman (New Canaan, Conn.) had three goals apiece. Szefi scored two of the Big Green's final goals, including what proved to be the gamewinner with 2:38 remaining. That gave Dartmouth an 11-9 lead before Rowan reduced the Syracuse deficit back to one, 11-10, on a free position shot with 1:43 left.

Dartmouth's trademark defense was the difference, however. The Big Green denied Syracuse All-America Gaddy Fortune - the senior scored 47 goals and three assists last season - while Rowan (who scored 46 last year as a freshman) was held to just a pair.

"They looked to fast break, obviously," said Dartmouth coach Amy Patton about the Orange. "We gave up a bunch of fast break goals in that first half. They never let you rest defensively. They never really settle it - they just go, go, go. Our defense was not connected in that first half. We were completely frazzled, and our timing was really off. We made some adjustments at halftime. I said before I walked out, 'Defense, the game's in your hands.'"

The game was evenly contested, as Dartmouth couldn't build more than a two-goal lead throughout. Szefi set up junior Kristen Barry (Duxbury, Mass.) with 15:48 to go in the first half for a 6-4 lead, but Syracuse had two straight goals by Christina Dove for a 7-7 tie at the break.

Dove put the Orange ahead, 8-7 at 26:51 of the second half, before Pittman tied it about 90 seconds later. Rowan and Szefi traded goals for another tie before the Big Green's Whitney Douthett (Newtown, Pa.) and Szefi pushed the advantage up to 11-9.

Patton cited her defense's play in the second half. "The kids were doubling better and they were covering the slides better."

Barry and Douthett each had a pair of goals for Dartmouth, while Szefi had one assist for a four-point afternoon. Senior Margo Duke (Englewood, Colo.) also had a goal.

The Big Green opens the 2007 season with three of the first four games at home. Dartmouth now preps for New Hampshire, who travels to Hanover on Saturday, March 3 at 12 noon.

Schedules